Method and Device for Media Editing

1. A media editing method for editing media including an image sequence comprising a plurality of images showing a user partially or entirely as a subject, said media editing method comprising: extracting a region from the images partially or entirely including the user; determining whether or not the user included in the region extracted in said extracting operation is facing a predesignated direction; selecting a part of the image sequence between time points determined as being when the user is facing the predesignated direction in said determining operation by scanning the image sequence from a start point to an end point, and from the end point to the start point; and editing the media including the part of the image sequence selected in said selecting operation.

2. The media editing method according to claim 1 , wherein said determining operation comprises determining whether or not the user included in the region extracted in said extracting operation is facing frontwards.

3. The media editing method according to claim 1 , further comprising detecting a sound included in the media, wherein said selecting operation comprises selecting, by scanning the image sequence from the start point to the end point, and from the end point to the start point, the part of the image sequence between the time points determined in said determining operation as being when the user is facing the predesignated direction, and between time points at which the sound is detected.

4. The media editing method according to claim 1 , wherein said editing operation comprises specifying the part of the image sequence selected in said selecting operation by a description in a meta-deta format.

5. The media editing method according to claim 1 , wherein said editing operation comprises clipping out the part of the image sequence selected in said selecting operation from the media.

6. The media editing method according to claim 1 , wherein said editing operation comprises selecting a first image in the part of the image sequence selected in said selectingstep operation as an initial display image.

7. The media editing method according to claim 1 , wherein said editing operation comprises calculating a partial region corresponding to the image sequence based on a position and a size of the region extracted in said extracting operation, and performing editing by using the partial region.

8. The media editing method according to claim 7 , wherein said editing operation further comprises specifying the partial region by a description in a meta data format.

9. The media editing method according to claim 1 , wherein said editing a operation comprises arranging text included in the media onto an arrangement region which is so set as not to overlap or overlap as little as possible the region extracted in said extracting operation.

10. The media editing method according to claim 1 , wherein said extracting operation comprises extracting a face region including a face of the user, and said editing operation comprises arranging text included in the media onto a speech bubble region which is so set as not to overlap or overlap as little as possible the region extracted in said extracting operation.

11. The media editing method according to claim 1 , wherein said editing operation comprises performing an image conversion process for one or more of the images.

12. The media editing method according to claim 1 , wherein said extracting operation comprises extracting a face region including a face of the user, and said editing operation comprises referring to a face characteristic calculated based on the face region extracted in said extracting operation, and from a character database storing a plurality of character images and face characteristics corresponding thereto, selecting one or more of the character images.

13. The media editing method according to claim 12 , wherein said editing operation comprises calculating the face characteristic based on character data inputted by the user.

14. The media editing method according to claim 12 , wherein said editing operation comprises calculating the face characteristic based on a length-to-width ratio or a partial characteristic of a face in the face region extracted in said extracting operation.

15. A media editing device for editing media including an image sequence comprising a plurality of images showing a user partially or entirely as a subject, said media editing device comprising: a region extraction part for extracting a region from the images partially or entirely including the user; a predesignated face orientation determination part for determining whether or not the user included in the region extracted by said region extraction part is facing a predesignated direction; a frame selection part for selecting a part of the image sequence between time points determined as being when the user is facing the predesignated direction by said predesignated face orientation determination part by scanning the image sequence from a start point to an end point, and from the end point to the start point; and an editing part for editing the media including the image sequence selected by said frame selection part.

16. The media editing device according to claim 15 , further comprising a sound detection part for detecting a sound included in the media, wherein said frame selection part selects, by scanning the image sequence from the start point to the end point, and from the end point to the start point, the part of the image sequence between the time points determined by said predesignated face orientation determination part as being when the user is facing the predesignated direction, and between time points at which the sound is detected.

17. The media editing device according to claim 15 , wherein said editing part selects a first image in the part of the image sequence selected by said frame selection part as an initial display image.

18. The media editing device according to claim 15 , wherein said editing part calculates a partial region corresponding to the image sequence based on a position and a size of the region extracted by said region extraction part, and performs editing by using the partial region.

19. The media editing device according to claim 15 , wherein said editing part arranges text included in the media onto an arrangement region which is so set as not to overlap or overlap as little as possible the region extracted by said region extraction part.

20. The media editing device according to claim 15 , wherein said region extraction part extracts a face region including a face of the user, and said editing part refers to a face characteristic calculated based on the face region extracted by said region extraction part, and from a character database storing a plurality of character images and face characteristics corresponding thereto, selects one or more of the character images.

21. A program recorded on a computer-readable recording medium to be carried out by a device for editing media including an image sequence comprising a plurality of images showing a user partially or entirely as a subject, said program comprising: extracting a region from the images partially or entirely including the user; determining whether or not the user included in the region extracted in said extracting operation is facing a predesignated direction; selecting a part of the image sequence between time points determined as being when the user is facing the predesignated direction in said determining operation by scanning the image sequence from a start point to an end point, and from the end point to the start point; and editing the media including the image sequence selected in said selecting operation.